GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – The Guyana Government Monday said it would be paying out a year-end bonus to public service employees whose salary is less than half a million dollars (One Guyana dollar =US$0.008 cents) a month.

In addition, the Ministry of Finance announced that a one off tax-free payment of GUY$50,000 “will be made to all active public sector workers earning less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) monthly”.

It said that the payment will be effected in December and that an estimated 30,700 public sector workers, including nurses, teachers, members of the Disciplined Services and semi-autonomous agencies will benefit as a result.

A brief Government statement announcing the “bonus” for the public servants, noted that in the seven months since the new administration came to office, “public servants earning over GUY$50,000 received between a 15 and six per cent salary increase, with those on the lower end of the scale receiving the higher percentage increase.

“Additionally, the minimum basic salary was increased to GUY$50,000 from GUY$42,703 and those who had still been receiving the older minimum wage of GUY$39,540 were also brought in line,” the statement said.